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£20m funding for vehicle to grid technology

Ministers have announced £20m funding to help develop electric vehicles capable of returning electricity to the grid.

The Government said the funding will support vehicle-to-grid projects create a smarter energy system, while increasing the numbers of electric cars on UK roads.

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The projects will investigate technology that allows plug-in electric vehicles to draw power from the grid when charging and return it to people’s homes or back to the grid.

Claire Perry, minister for climate change and industry and a former rail minister, said: ‘The Government is a world leader in tackling climate change and we are committed to investing in clean energy innovation to support the UK’s transition to a low carbon economy.

‘Vehicle to grid technology provides another opportunity for the UK to showcase to the world our leading expertise in research and development which is at the heart of our ambitious Industrial Strategy.

‘This competition could unlock significant economic benefits for the UK - helping to create jobs in this burgeoning sector while helping to reduce our emissions.’

Transport minister Jesse Norman said: ‘The number of ultra-low emission vehicles on our roads is at record levels, with the latest figures showing that there are over 100,000 plug-in cars and vans registered.

‘The Government’s ambition is that nearly all cars and vans on our roads are zero emission by 2050.’

The £20m will be awarded to three types of innovative vehicle to grid projects:

feasibility studies – investigating the ways vehicle to grid technology can be used in the future

industrial research or experimental development - for example, to develop vehicle-to-grid charging equipment

demonstrator trials in the real-world environment - projects that trial vehicle to grid technology in different locations across the country

The competition process will start in the next few weeks with the aim of winners being notified in December and projects starting in early 2018.